𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗱-𝗼𝗳-𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

Today, we gathered at the beautiful Hamilton Golf Club to celebrate an incredible year with our Standing Tall family. It was heartwarming to see over 150 people join us - our school partners, our families, our students, our mentors, and our event sponsors all came together to reflect on and rejoice in the connections we’ve built and the achievements we’ve shared.

Our mentors, the heart of this program, have made a lasting impact on our mentees, guiding them with patience, kindness, and unwavering dedication.

To our mentees, you are the future leaders and innovators of our community, and watching you grow this year has been truly inspiring.

To the families, school staff, and sponsors who support us, your partnership makes this all possible.

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘀:

𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙤𝙣 for sponsoring our BBQ — your generosity is greatly appreciated.

𝙃𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙑𝙞𝙘 𝙇𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗 for cooking up a delicious BBQ and spreading your community spirit.

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙃𝙞𝙧𝙚 for our stunning event backdrop, perfect for photos.

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 for saving the day with water dispensers — we’re forever grateful!

𝙃𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗 for hosting us in this spectacular venue.

𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙡 for providing marquee and umbrellas, making our day even more comfortable.

𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨.

Some of the achievements we celebrated today include the following. In 2024, we:

• Hosted 390 mentoring sessions supporting 90 students.
• Welcomed 33 new mentors and 54 new mentees.
• Welcomed Cavendish Primary School to active mentoring sessions, and Branxholme Community School as our 16th School Partner.
• Engaged 87 volunteers who gave their time and hearts to our program.
• Hosted our second volunteer conference that allowed us to celebrate our volunteers during National Volunteer week.
• Were named finalists in the Volunteering Victoria Partnerships Award.

𝗔 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹:

Today, we honoured 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮, our longest-serving volunteer with 20 years of remarkable service. Peter, your dedication, calm wisdom, and legendary dad jokes have shaped so many lives, and your legacy will always be a part of Standing Tall. You will be deeply missed.

Thank you all for being part of the village that raises our children. Together, we truly thrive.